7-ingredient chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that taste like a Butterfinger candy! Made with our incredibly moist gluten-free chocolate cake mix and a rich, fluffy, vegan peanut butter frosting.
CUPCAKES: Prepare chocolate cupcakes according to package instructions. Let cool completely.
FROSTING: To a medium mixing bowl add natural peanut butter and powdered sugar. Whip well with an electric mixer so the powdered sugar fully absorbs the peanut butter’s oil. This ensures the oil will not separate from the peanut butter in the future! It will look crumbly at this point, which is normal.
Add the softened vegan butter to the peanut butter mixture. Whip starting on a low speed and slowly working up to high. Whip for 1 minute until light and fluffy with no peanut butter flecks remaining.
If using immediately, you can leave the frosting at room temperature for up to 1 hour. Or, for later use, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator so it doesn’t melt. When ready to use, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and give it a good stir before frosting your cupcakes.
To frost the cupcakes, use a small cookie scoop (we like this one) or tablespoon to scoop out ~1 ½ - 2 Tbsp of frosting and place on a cupcake. Repeat until each cupcake is topped with frosting. If there is any extra in the bowl, you can divide it evenly between the cupcakes. Use an offset spatula or knife to gently push the frosting to the edges of the cupcakes and smooth out the tops. You can also give it a little swirl if you’d like!
TOPPING: Top each cupcake with ~1 teaspoon of finely chopped peanuts. Enjoy at room temperature or store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, although they are best eaten within 24 hours! Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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Notes
*Cake mix requires water, neutral oil, and vanilla extract to make cake/cupcakes. *The peanut butter frosting would be delicious on any chocolate cake recipe or mix you choose to use. We’d suggest this recipe for GF + vegan and this recipe for just vegan. *Prep time includes cooling the cupcakes. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with our packaged Chocolate Cake Mix and ingredients used to prepare it.